Greyleaf's Clan
by Fourth Season
Summary: Survive. Move on. Keep moving. This has summed up the lives of our heroes. Now, free from the grip of their prison and searching for a new normal, the gang must figure out how to survive in a new environment, with its own set of rules. Will the prophecy foretold finally come to fruition? Or will Greyleaf make the wrong choice and spiral history into chaos?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for promising the next enstallment "soon" and then dropping the ball again DX College and work has been kicking my butt**

 **But here we are! New story, new book, new POV!**

 **I hope yall enjoy! 3**

 **For new readers, this is the third installment in my series, _Greyleaf's Trilogy_. A TLDR for books one and two may be coming at some point, but for now, please read _Greyleaf's Choice_ and _Greyleaf's Journey_ to fully understand the events of _Greyleaf's Clan_**

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Chapter 1: Shade

This was all happening so fast.

The battle, the deaths, the escape…

And now this.

Shade felt her own breath catch in her throat, and she resisted the urge to rush to Nightpaw's side and do something—anything—to help. She would be no help here. She was a killer, a fighter—not a healer.

And today felt much too similar to that day in the tunnels….

"Get me some water!" Sparrowpaw's voice cut through her thoughts, and Shade winced at the sharpness in it.

"Of course!" she yipped, whirling around and scanning the area around them for any source of water. Her heart began to clench as her eyes found nothing, but by StarClan's grace a puddle was just a short run away. She started to head towards it when—

"—I've got it," Goldenfur mewed, brushing past her with Death on his heels.

The two didn't even so much as hiss at each other as the darker tabby gave the bright one a large, dilapidated leaf to scoop the liquid with. They were back at the tiny medicine cat's side within moments.

Sparrowpaw glanced up from her work, panting. "That's… a lot."

Death just grimaced and held his tip of the leaf lower so that his daughter could get a drink, Goldenfur dipping in suit. As soon as she lapped it up, she paused in her beating of Nightpaw's chest to breathe two puffs of air into his open mouth, then went right back to her rhythmic drumming.

Shade suppressed rising emotion, sitting down and busying herself with licking the blood out of her paws and legs; she needed something else to focus on. If she thought too hard….

A kick pressed against her belly, and the she-cat grimaced in both pain and fear. What if her beloved Nightpaw never got to see his kits? She tried not to dwell on it. Life and death were part of living… and she would go on without him by her side if she had to.

She could only hope that their kits would be okay in her care without him… Greyleaf and her family were still strangers to her, and she didn't know what she would do without her mate's protection.

"Isn't there something we can _do?!_ "

Shade jerked her head up, eyes unmisting, to see Goldenpaw's tail lashing as she paced.

"Hush!" Sparrowpaw snapped before bending down to breathe into Nightpaw once again.

Goldenpaw bit her lip, still pacing, and turned to bury her bloodied head into her mother's equally-bloodied shoulder.

The crystalline shine of tears graced the grey fur, and Shade looked away.

The sitting and waiting was weighing on her, as well, and she struggled to get herself back on her paws and drag herself closer to the scene.

"No. Sit," Sparrowpaw ordered, not looking up from her work. "Wounds."

Shade blinked, her face tensing. She hadn't realized the extent of the lacerations slashing across her coat, nor had she realized the dizzying white dots spotting her vision. She laid down, dragging her face close to Nightpaw's, and placed her muzzle into his ruff, praying.

It felt like seasons before a ragged breath finally coursed through his mouth, and Shade let a single tear slip.

"Nightpaw," she breathed, eyes brimming as she butted his head. "Thank StarClan."

He shakily licked her cheek and laid his head back down, his breaths as ragged as his exhausted sister's.

"What… what happened?"

"Your heart stopped," Death answered, cringing. "We don't know why… but Sparrowpaw saved you." Though he flicked an ear towards the she-cat, Shade saw his eyes never left Nightpaw's face.

The younger tom turned his face to look gratefully at his sister. "Thank you," he said, shaking. "I would be dead right now if not for you."

 _That's for sure,_ Shade thought as she curled closer to him and let his family ask him their questions and calm their concerns. Her heart was at peace once again. She could only hope his was, as well.

A kick once again pushed against her stomach, and Nightpaw craned his neck backwards to press his fur into her face. "They aren't even born yet, and already they're beating me up."

"Oh; sorry." Shade moved a bit away, so that there was space between her belly and his back.

"You both need to be moved," Death said, cutting into their moment, and reached down to grab Nightpaw by his scruff.

Without asking anyone else, the dark tom dragged his son across the packed earth and towards a dark shadow in the nearby stone wall. For a moment, Shade blinked, confused as to if a Tribe tunnel had somehow manifested itself so far away from their territory, but a second look dismissed that evaluation. She struggled to her paws and began trundling after them, remembering her own most-recent time in the Tunnels.

She'd always been curious as to what happened when a cat who had already passed the Tribe's test went back inside. Now, she regretted that curiosity. It really killed the cat—several. The she-cat almost wished she hadn't had to witness the insanity the Tribe created in Death.

Inside this cave it was cold, and not much adorned the small space but a few strangled spiderwebs. She snapped up a spider and quickly crunched it in her mouth; she'd need the sustenance, even if it was small. The increasing amount of white dots in her vision were starting to worry her, and she quickly laid herself up inside the crook of her mate's soft stomach.

He licked her between the ears and began cleaning out her coat, and the dark she-cat purred.

"Thank you, love," she said, smiling at the gentle caress.

"Of course, Shade," he answered, traveling down her back to clean out the many wounds there. "Sparrowpaw," he said, catching the small she-cat's ears quickly. "Shade needs a lot of cobwebs for these wounds. She's shaking."

Shade almost denied his last words, but a quick glance at her paws proved him right. She _was_ shaking. With a sigh, she laid her head back at her paws in defeat and let the spotted grey cat patch her up with some of the blessedly-abundant cobwebs from the cave. Nightpaw chuckled at her, but he allowed himself to be patched up as well before the she-cat moved on to the others. As he settled back up against her, patting her side to calm her squeamishness at the foreign sensation of the cobwebs against her skin, Shade opened her eyes. Half of Goldenpaw's face was practically covered in the mesh, and Goldenfur had nearly refused care from the look of things. Sparrowpaw was tentatively patching Death up as neither met the other's eye.

Nightpaw cleared his throat and tipped Shade's wearied head up as another cat approached them.

The black cat had to blink twice to make sure she could believe her eyes, but it was, in fact, Greyleaf standing above her with the ginger kitten they had saved in her jaws. The long-furred she-cat gingerly laid her on the floor and said, "Shade, would you mind watching and feeding Cherrykit tonight? I don't have milk to give her, and Sparrowpaw has run dry."

A kindle of warmth smoldered in Shade's heart, and she gave the older cat a small smile and a nod, pulling the squirming kitten closer. The fresh wounds lining the older cat's face were barely noticed as Shade sank into her green gaze, the warmth spreading.

"Thank you," she whispered, eyes moving to the bicolor kit as she tried not to wince from the tugging on her teat.

"Thank you?" Greyleaf's eyes were confused. "No, thank _you."_

Shade blinked at her again, cocking her head slightly to the side, before returning her gaze to the kit. The sound of Greyleaf's paws heading away soon graced her ears, and Shade laid her head back on her paws to ponder. Her tail wrapped around Cherrykit.

She'd thought that Greyleaf would never trust her with a kit after what happened in the tunnels….

Maybe things would be different, better, after all?


	2. Chapter 2

**I figured I would go ahead and post the second chapter**

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Chapter 2: Pinestar

The night's sleep was a hard one. Energy still tingled in Pinestar's paws, and he kept waking up in fear of being found.

Each time, only the silence of the night answered him.

Regardless, he had gone out and covered their scent trail, created false ones, and dragged what little brush he could find in front of their small cave's entrance.

He did not want to go back to that horrible place again.

Day came like a lingering sickness, forever taunting as the night held its steely grip. He both eagerly awaited and dreaded it. With each flutter of a leaf or sound of a small animal scurrying, he jerked awake, ears erect. By the time sunrise came, it felt as if a million moons had passed to the tom's weary eyes.

The others hadn't slept much better, it seemed, as he looked around the room.

No one wanted to make eye contact with him, either. Pinestar did his best to not let it bother him, but the wearied eyes of one particular cat cut him deep. He understood why, but it was just… too much for him to try and process, after all that had happened, that he'd lost the very thing he'd been fighting for by hiding himself to protect her.

"I'll go hunt," he finally said, clearing his throat. The dark tom dragged his tired paws out of the silent cave and began trodding across the barren expanse, every hair on his pelt prickling.

They couldn't have really gotten away, could they?

Pinestar didn't know, but what he _did_ know was that it would only be so long before they all collapsed from exhaustion if they kept going as they were. They needed food-and desperately.

He winced at the knowledge that not everyone had eaten as well as he had in BloodClan.

A flash of color darted across his peripheral vision, and the tomcat whirled around to slam his paw on a mouse. A swift bite to the neck put an end to its squeaking, and he fearfully looked at the skies.

 _No eagles. Good._

With the mouse in tow, he began trotting around the area and sniffing in each nook and cranny. Nothing. Besides the scrawny animal, there was null at all to eat.

His belly grumbled, and his mouth watered at the scent of prey in his maw, but Pinestar quickly made his way back to their cave and dropped the kill at Shade's paws.

"There's nothing out there but this," he said.

She nodded up at him, icy eyes unreadable, and attempted to push the mouse away from her.

"Eat," Nightpaw piped up, standing and pushing the prey back towards his mate. "You need it more than any of us."

Pinestar dipped his head and stepped back, content to leave them to decide what to do with the prey, and retreated to his lonely corner of the room.

Sparrowpaw was making the rounds, and after urging Shade to eat the mouse-successfully-she walked over lastly to him.

Neither could meet the other's eye, and Pinestar mutely let her paw him over and re-apply clean cobwebs to his wounds. She had nearly finished with them all when a small gasp startled him into a twitch.

A sharp intake of breath between his teeth marked the surprise of pain from her paw slipping into an open wound, but Pinestar was more focused on what had caused her to gasp. Those wide green eyes were fixated on his neck, where shiny new flesh marked a deep scar across his throat.

Pinestar shifted, twitching his tail with a puff, and said, "The fight with Blood… didn't go so well. I don't know if I said it before... but thank you."

She didn't respond, but her stare moved to the work on his shoulder. The cobwebs were soon neatly packed into his bites, and the she-cat was gone.

Pinestar looked up at Greyleaf for consolation, the pain blossoming in his heart, but she wasn't looking at him.

She was looking at Shade.

Pinestar jolted to his feet with a hiss. The black she-cat was dry-heaving, her legs twitching as she doubled forward. The half-eaten mouse lay at her paws, and it was kicked aside as Sparrowpaw rushed to the queen's aid.

"What's wrong?" Nightpaw asked, a hint of panic in his voice.

Sparrowpaw just shook her head, cradling Shade's chin in her paw until the heaving stopped, and motioned for the other she-cat to lay back down.

After a few moments of spasming, the problem became clear.

"She's kitting." Sparrowpaw's voice grew impossibly calm. "I need a stick, and some water. Go."

Without even waiting to see if her orders had been obeyed, the she-cat began rubbing soothing circles on the she-cat's tumbling belly. Pinestar was in awe, so much so that he hardly noticed the golden pelts streaming past him to the exit.

Even though she wouldn't look at him, or maybe ever know it, Pinestar was proud of his daughter.

The bright pelts returned with the needed water, and Greyleaf followed suit with an old stick.

"It's not great," Sparrowpaw said, moving the wood into the cat's mouth. "But it'll do. Stay back; you're crowding her. She's getting nervous."

Pinestar did as he was told, nearly bumping into Goldenpaw-who gave him a deep growl-and sat down off to the side. A small prick of jealousy crossed he back of his mind as he saw Nightpaw licking his mate's head to calm her. He hadn't been there for Greyleaf when she had kitted.

A quick glance to his right showed him who had.

He laid back his ears, shaking away the dangerous emotions, and focused back on his daughter's work. It was an ugly, long kitting. He almost felt sorry for his son, whose worry was obvious in how his tail was constantly twitching, but moreso than that, he felt sorry for Shade.

The poor cat looked like she was being ripped apart.

In essence, she was. Due to the strain and movement, several of her wounds had reopened ad were beginning to seep blood onto the ground. Pinestar was almost worried that she was bleeding out from the kitting, too, but Sparrowpaw's calm face kept him from thinking too far down that road.

The time was almost infinite before a small, dark gray bundle was placed at Shade's side. The exhausted queen gave out a soft purr as she licked her kit's tiny head and pulled him close to her belly, where Cherrykit gave an indignant squeal upon being returned to her spot next to the newborn.

Pinestar looked up to see his son's eyes swimming. "He's… he's beautiful…."

Shade looked up at her mate with a wearied smile. "He's our son… Hawkkit."

Nightpaw purred and curled up around his mate and kit, his tail wrapped protectively over them as they recovered.

"May I…?" Pinestar took a step closer, and his heart sprang when Nightpaw and Shade nodded. With the tenderest of movements he ducked down to sniff the kit's face, giving him a gentle lick.

 _Grandfather… I'm a grandfather…._

He stepped away to make space for the next cat, Greyleaf, and moved away entirely when her hard glare wounded him.

Pinestar refused to be ashamed, but it amazed him the intensity with which Nightpaw watched Hawkkit as each cat visited and greeted the newborn. A ping between the backs of his ears caught him by surprise as the sun fell upon them once again, and he gingerly crossed the room to the family's side.

"Son… may I ask you something?"

Nightpaw's amber eyes found his. "Sure. What do you need?"

Pinestar blinked, grateful. "The way you watch Hawkkit… it's so astounding. If you would have me, I would like to give you your warrior name. You've deserved one for a long while."

Nightpaw's gaze grew soft, and Pinestar swore he saw a small smile on the tom's face. His voice was soft as he answered, "What would you name me, father?"

"I would name you Nightwatcher, in honor of your fierce gaze of protection for all your loved ones and the shadow you provide."

"Shadow." His son gave him a cheeky lidded look. "I see the ShadowClan in you, father."

 _Better than the BloodClan,_ he thought to himself, but answered: "It's where I was raised, but it would be an honor to give you this name."

Nightpaw dipped his head forward for Pinestar to lick. "I accept, Pinestar."

A deep feeling of warmth rooted itself in his bones as he licked his son between the ears and shared a smile with him and his family.

"I would also like a name change, Pinestar," Shade piped up, opening an eye from her place at Nightwatcher's paws. "I wish to leave behind my name and everything BloodClan gave me."

"I-" Pinestar was taken aback. "I don't have the authority to do that, but if you wish." At her curt nod, he mulled over his thoughts. "If you would have it, I would name you Shadowblaze. Your resolve and ability to use the darkness to your advantage reminds me of my home, as does your deep loyalty to my son. And the way you fought in that battle, any cat would think you were a blazing inferno."

She blinked slowly at him and raised her head to his, her silent acceptance obvious to him. The tabby tom gave her a grateful lick between the ears and gave the two one last dip of the head before returning to his nest. Just as he was about to settle in for sleep, he saw blue eyes glaring at him from the other side of the room.

"Well I'm Goldenlake. Make sure to call me that now," the tart voice threw across the space, and Pinestar kept his eyes open long enough to see Goldenfur's surprised reaction before the guilt crept in.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry for lacks of italics where they're supposed to be, like for thoughts. Mobile isn't letting me italicize (or bold and whatnot, besides here at the top of the document) things correctly.**

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Chapter 3: Greyleaf

Greyleaf watched the new mother from across the room, a worm of worry that the older Cherrykit might cause Hawkkit some trouble seeding in her heart, but the kitten seemed to be adjusting well.

Satisfied, she laid her head back down on her paws and caught Goldenfur's sharp stare from across the room. She blinked to summon him over, and the tom breathed a sigh of relief as he came to her side.

"They're beautiful… I'd be honored to have a family like that," he mewed, licking out the clotted blood from between her shoulders.

Greyleaf purred, eyes closing. "Maybe not by blood, but you're a much a part of this family as anyone else." She nearly winced, thinking about Death—Pinestar—nearby. When she opened an eye, though, it seemed he was sound asleep. "Shade will make a fine mother; I can sense it…. Maybe you can mentor one of her kits?"

Goldenfur scoffed, curling around her to rest his head next to hers on her paws. "I don't see how; it's not like we're in ThunderClan."

Greyleaf noted his close position, but she didn't much mind. It helped her to feel the comforting aura of her friend when her pelt wanted to prickle on end from Pinestar's presence. After a few moments of delicious silence, she laid her head over his and rumbled, "We can just make our own clan, once we find our way out of here. There's gotta be somewhere out there. Maybe even the ancient Clan lands."

"I thought those were long gone? The twolegs destroyed them."

"Maybe." Greyleaf opened her eyes to ponder. "But maybe things have changed? We could always try and look, once we can move the kits."

"They've got BloodClan blood in them," Goldenfur answered, "They'll be ready to move tomorrow."

"True." Greyleaf tried not to think about how they had moved her own kits on their birth day. What if Nightwatcher's problem was because of her?  
There were too many problems because of her.

Goldenfur shifted underneath her, and Greyleaf retracted herself so that he could look her in the eye.

"Don't look so worried; we'll be fine. I'll carry the kits, myself." He gave her one of his small, gentle smiles. "And I'll make sure nothing happens to them."

Greyleaf burrowed her head into the fluff of his chest. "Thanks, Goldenfur," she whispered, just enjoying the beating of his heart for a few moments before she stood up. "We need to scout ahead; see what's out there." She shot the slumbering Pinestar a cold look. "And see if there's more prey to be found than was said."

Goldenfur looked past her.

"You good to guard the cave on your own?"

"Yep." Greyleaf turned to see Goldenlake's eyes change tone to resolute, their previous emotion unknown. "You can go."

The bright she-cat moved herself to the cave's entrance as the older cats padded out into the sun. It felt warm on Greyleaf's aching fur. She gave Goldenfur a little smile, and he gave her his wide grin back, stretching himself.

"It's nice to be in the sun, free," he said, letting out a deep yawn. "I need to stretch my bones."

"Elder," Greyleaf joked, bopping him with her hip. He chuckled back and gave her a false swipe for good measure.

"Yeah, yeah," the tom mewed, setting his sights back on the land around them. "Just you wait and see: you'll be as old as me someday!"

Greyleaf snorted, padding behind and scanning the ground tediously. "You're only a few moons older than me; you act as if I'm not already there! I feel like a decrepit she-cat already."

Goldenfur turned to her, and a split second, his eyes became unbelievably soft. "You're still as beautiful as ever, despite it." He gently touched his nose to her cheek. "Even with these scars."

Greyleaf's face grew hot, and warmth spilled inside her, permeating her limbs.

"Thanks, Goldenfur," she said, backing away a little to give him a smile. "Now let's get to hunting."

He nodded his assent, and the two searched for hours. Thanks to the heat of the sun—Greyleaf figured it must be Greenleaf with the intensity it bore upon them—her new wounds began to grow hot and uncomfortable after a time, making her face and back especially bothersome. Eventually, she started taking more and more breaks and spent fewer spans searching around. Goldenfur gave her worried looks, but she assured him all was well as they continued their search.

Despite their best efforts, they found nothing. The only fruitful part of their mission was that close by, the land got a little softer and began to curve downhill. They had passed through most of the canyons and rocky outcrops in their flight.

"Hopefully, in a few days' travel, we can be out of this stinking place." Goldenfur's nose wrinkled up. "But we'll have to deal with twolegs."

"After BloodClan," Greyleaf muttered, "I'll take grabby twolegs any day."

"Agreed," Goldenfur stated simply, blinking his eyes in the bright sun. "Let's head back."

Greyleaf had to lean heavily on her friend as they made the return trek empty-pawed. She really wished they _had_ found something, especially to give to Shade, but Pinestar had been right: the place really was barren.

Regardless, they took their time on the way back, crisscrossing and weaving their way through the unfamiliar terrain to search for whatever they could.

Thankfully, there was always that small water hole near their cave to drink from. The two took a brief sip before returning to the cave.

"Nothing," Greyleaf announced solemnly to the hungry eyes meeting her gaze.

"Nothing?" Goldenlake looked ready to dig her claws into the hard ground.

"Nothing," Goldenfur affirmed, before padding over to his part of the den and grooming himself.

Greyleaf considered going to sit with him, but a quick moment of thought decided her against it. She winced as one of her back wounds pulled and walked over to Sparrowpaw.

"Do you think you could patch me up, Sparrowpaw?" she asked, leaning heavily on the wall.

Sparrowpaw blinked at her. "You tore off the face bandages I made, again. Mom, they won't ever heal if you keep doing that."

"But I need my right eye to see," she implored, ignoring the stinging on that half of her face. The long gouges were puffy from the heat, but at least the two smaller scars on her left cheek—created by Pinestar's slash moons ago, she remembered with a small growl—hadn't opened in the fight. She didn't even think scars could reopen like that, though, but then again, she wasn't a medicine cat.

"I'm sorry, Sparrowpaw," Greyleaf mewed, "You know best."

A small sparkle of surprise lit her daughter's eye, and Greyleaf blinked, realizing that she hadn't shown her daughter the respect due a medicine cat. Guilt burning in her, she let the smaller cat re-wrap her face with only a little squeaking.

"There; all done." Sparrowpaw stepped away from her work. Greyleaf couldn't open her eye. "Don't sleep on that side of your head."

"Of course," the former warrior answered, tottering away.

She caught a glimpse of Goldenlake looking outside with a pained expression as she returned to Goldenfur's side, but as soon as the bright she-cat noticed she was being watched, the emotion was gone.

Her eyes seemed to say: what are you looking at? Go to sleep already.

Exhausted, Greyleaf did just that.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is more choppy and fast-paced than I'd like, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to re-write it. I hope yall enjoy, regardless.**

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Chapter 4: Goldenfur

It was an uneasy night, and Goldenfur had to wrestle the job of lookout from Pinestar's greedy claws. Something in those amber eyes told Goldenfur that the other cat needed a break, that he was feeding off the job.

Empathizing with the tom made Goldenfur feel sick.

By morning, everyone was refreshed, and the sound of kitten yawns and squeals was like warm sunshine in Goldenfur's ears. Though it didn't take long to come back from an early hunting patrol empty-pawed again and have his mood ruined.

"We have to move," he said as he came inside, Goldenlake at his heels. "We'll starve here."

"I agree," said Nightwatcher, "Hawkkit and Cherrykit will be fine, but not if Shadowblaze is too weak to feed them."

His mate looked ready to fix him with that steely gaze, but Nightwatcher bent down and licked her between the ears, calming her into a soft purr.

"Much as I hate to say it, Goldenbutt's right." Goldenlake came to stand at his side, surprising him with the nickname. Goldenfur didn't know whether to take it as an insult or compliment, so he said nothing and let her talk. "I can head the front of the group as a scout. Greyleaf can bring up the—"

"That won't work," Pinestar spoke up, gaining him several hard glares. After a moment's pause, he added, "Your eye is covered, and so is hers. You two need to make up the middle, while I, Nightwatcher, or Goldenfur make up the front and rear."

"You'll lead us right into a trap!" Goldenlake hissed, flexing her claws.

Pinestar just blinked sadly at her. "We need to all stay safe. I don't know the land around here, so I can stay at the back, if need be."

"Just so you can pick us off from behind," Goldenlake muttered under her breath, lashing her tail. Louder, she said, "Whatever we do, we should get going. Daylight's a-wasting."

The others unanimously agreed, and Goldenfur soon found himself carrying Cherrykit in the middle of the pack. Despite Goldenlake's dismissal, Pinestar headed the group because he had the least amount of wounds. It paid to have nine lives.

"When do you think we'll reach the twolegplace?" Greyleaf asked beside him after they'd traveled in relative silence for a while. The ground was softer beneath their paws, now, but sharp stones still occasionally stabbed at their toughened pads.

"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find some shelter soon. A farm, maybe."

"Precisely," Pinestar said up ahead. "The other cats in BloodClan mentioned a farm along this way." His tail shook a little, and Goldenfur saw the telltale flash of unsheathed and resheathed claws. "Some Fighters were sent to dispatch a rebellious group of cats in a barn. If we're lucky, we'll reach that barn today."

"And if we don't?" Goldenlake's venom floated across the whole group.

"We'll make camp as best we can. But I hope we make it to the barn; there'll be plenty of food."

Shade looked up expectantly at that notion, but as usual, she stayed silent. Her son, however, let out a mewl from his place hanging from Nightwatcher's mouth.

The brown tom gave him an approving gaze as the two locked eyes, their tiredness translating across the distance. They both needed a break from carrying the kits. Thankfully, the others noticed this silent dialogue between them, and Goldenfur let Greyleaf gently pull the kit away from his mouth. Goldenlake did the same for Nightwatcher, and the bright tom fell back to walk beside the new parents.

He cleared his throat. "So… uhm, uhm, hehm—" Nervousness blocked his thoughts.

Nightwatcher laid his tail over Goldenfur's back. "I understand."

Goldenfur smiled, then nodded. He gave Shadowblaze a bright smile, as well. Just like her, he wanted to leave everything from BloodClan behind."

"I'm glad I get to travel with you," he finally said, fixing his eyes back on the cats ahead. The sun's faltering light made Greyleaf's fur sparkle, and the golden tom almost forgot what he was about to say. "I know you'll live up to your name and keep your family safe."

Even though his heart pinched at knowing what the other cat had done to Goldenfur's only family left, the tom knew that his statement was true. Regardless of his residual feelings, Nightwatcher would make a fine father.

Goldenfur almost envied him that.

Up ahead, Pinestar called back, "I see it! The cattle appear to be on the other end of the pasture, so we can make a break for the barn."

Goldenfur quickly caught up to take Cherrykit from Greyleaf's jaws, Nightwatcher doing the same for his sister, and stood between his friend and Sparrowpaw as they all looked down a hill.

Stretching out ahead of them, past the tree-lengths of farmland, was a twolegplace as wide as the eye could see. Monsters' beams lit up the crossroads between the bright dens, and the faint smell of thunderpath already reached his nose.

A twoleg drifted from a large shed to its den nearby, some distance from the red barn, and Goldenlake took that as their signal to move.

The cats slipped through the wooden fence as fluidly and swiftly as time would allow, then snuck their way across the grass to stand at the barn doors.

Blessedly, they weren't challenged.

A gnawed section of the door allowed them a way in, and the warmth and smell of mice and hay overwhelmed the tabby tom. He saw a fat mouse lift beady eyes to his frame, and within moments the mouse was dead.

"Here," he offered to Shadowblaze as they padded towards a secluded space in the corner. "Get your strength up; I'll go hunt more."

The prey was plentiful here, and it was blessedly easy to catch. Especially after all that time spent in captivity, Goldenfur blessed the stars for that. His hunting was way out of practice, and he would have lost several if not for how slow-moving they were. Nightwatcher made his way to the tom's side, and the older cat remarked, "Those cats must have been killed a while ago."

Nightwatcher only nodded, corralling a mouse towards him, and the two continued on in silence.

Goldenlake and Pinestar joined in to rack up an impressive fresh-kill pile. By the time they had all eaten their fill and laid down for bed, the air of peace was almost tangible around them.

It was so nice to finally feel safe.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for such a long wait on this one! I got very distracted by ARPGs and classwork, and also I lost drive to do this story when it seemed like no one was reading it.**

 **So BIIIG thank you to KristiHope for reviewing on my story! Your words mean a lot 3 and seeing your comment inspired me to write today and finish this chapter! And extra-long one at that! I hope I keep making content that brings both joy an heartache and gets even better!**

 **I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter! *ominous voice* "And so the action thickens!"**

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Chapter 5: Goldenlake

Goldenlake kept watch that night. She ignored the others when their shifts overlapped, but even when she was on break, she felt like she'd hardly slept a wink. The cat was glad when morning came.

"Up and at 'em, everybody," she said, giving Pinestar a swift kick as she passed by. "We need to get moving."

Shadowblaze looked up at her with pained eyes. Nightwatcher placed a paw over her wounded side and snuggled closer, muttering, "She needs to rest, Goldenpaw."

"Golden _lake._ " She huffed at them, but after she looked over the she-cats wounds again, her eyes softened. "But okay."

The warrior had half a mind to say some more to them, but Sparrowpaw stirred from her place in some hay, prompting Goldenlake to pad over to her.

"How're you feeling?" she asked, sitting down beside her. "Do your scratches hurt?"

"Scratches?" Sparrowpaw's eyes were dull. "These aren't scratches. None of us have scratches…. We should have done more for them…."

A painful twang hit her throat. She thrust away the memory of Zadimus' words. "You're right."

Sparrowpaw's head jerked up.

"We should have."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, both looking at their paws, before the younger moved away to give the other her space.

Goldenlake busied herself with catching some mice, thankful for the slow and bountiful prey as she sank her teeth into catch after catch. Hunger gnawed at her, making her mouth water and beg to be filled, but the Warrior Code was still strong in her mind. She felt herself swell with pride as she brought back enough to feed everyone and divided the spoil among them all. It was difficult not to deny the older toms a share, but she knew that they needed everyone at full strength if they were going to keep moving.

"Thank you, Goldenlake," Shadowblaze mewed as she accepted her mice. Goldenlake dipped her head politely in response.

As everyone settled down, she moved to the back of the barn with her meal and ate alone, just watching the others. Pinestar was off on his own, to her pleasure, but the dark tom was still too close to her family for comfort. She suppressed a tick of anger at seeing how close Goldenfur and Greyleaf were together. Instead, she moved her eyes to Nightwatcher and his family, where Sparrowpaw was eating as she observed the suckling kits and Shadowblaze's health.

She closed her uncovered eye for a second, breathing in the warm air. In that moment, everything felt fine…. Then the emptiness at her side called. Everything was almost fine.

Almost.

She silently grieved after finishing her meal, looking to the outside world as if she was asleep in the mind before getting up and joining the others.

"Goldenfur," she mewed, noticing he had finished as well. "Do you want to go scout with me?"

His eyes were wide. "Uh—yeah. Let's go."

He butted his head against Greyleaf's and stood, following her out into the day's air.

"Goldenlake, I—"

"Hush. Just walk. We need to scout out our route; I really don't want to stay here long."

He clamped his jaw shut, tail lightly swishing, and allowed her to lead him. They sniffed at old scent markers, ears open for any sign of predators as they skirted the clumps of farm animals in the pasture while the silence between them hung. Even the grass here was soft, and Goldenlake knew that they, too, would become soft if they stayed here too long. Getting back to health was one thing; laziness was another.

"Ahm…." Goldenfur's voice was grating on her ears, but she didn't let herself show it. "Goldenlake… why did you…?"

"Take this name? Ask you out here? Start being nice?" She gave him a purposefully-toothy grin. "I do what I want, Goldenfur. Trying to figure me out will hurt your head."

He chuckled, eyes trained on the twoleg leaving its den far away, just a silhouette on the skyline. "Well, then enlighten me, if I'm not capable."

She shrugged. "In time."

They continued on, skirting the twoleg's line of sight and following the fence line. Far away, the gray expanse of jutting, unnatural, structures marked the gigantic twolegplace. The flowing grass separating them and the twoleg jungle wasn't far enough for Goldenlake's tastes, even if the weather was bright and happy.

"Do you really think we'll have to go through there?" she asked, sitting down and kneading the grass.

"Maybe. I don't know another way to the ancient lands. The tales all say that they went through the large twolegplace to get to the lake."

"I wonder if the four trees are still there…." Her eyes focused on something intangible. "Or if _anything_ is still there…."

"There will be," he said, "There has to be."

"You're far too optimistic," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "I say we're on a suicide mission. We'll be lucky if we find _any_ thing, _anywhere_ , for us to settle down at."

"And here isn't good enough?"

Goldenlake let the silence hang between them for a moment before curling her lip. "If you want to grow fat and soft, unable to properly hunt anymore and live by the true Warrior Code, then sure, we're in a good place."

His voice grew steely, but she didn't look at him. "Goldenp—lake. That's not what would happen. We could easily live by the Code here as anywhere." She heard his mouth shut, and the breath on her neck stilled for a moment. The she-cat smirked, thinking she'd made him hold his breath in anger, but the calm, bright response melted her smugness. "But I understand why you would want to go; the forest is our home. Not this barn, not the mountains. The forest." He stepped up to be closer to her side and sat down there, his ear flicking above her head. "I just hope we can find somewhere… and get there all in one piece."

Goldenlake sighed, looking over the odious twinkling of unnatural lights again. "Me too…. Hey, did the legends… ever say anything about going around the twolegplace?"

She let him think for a moment before getting up and turning around to the barn.

As he caught up with her, he said, "Not that I can remember, but we could always try."

"Maybe Shadowblaze know something."

He nodded, flicking her tail with his and then running ahead. Goldenpaw kept a steady pace until she reached the safety of the barn, determined not to wear herself out too quickly. They could be traveling again soon, after all, she figured.

Chapter 5: Sparrowpaw

"That's _ludicrous!"_

Sparrowpaw blinked slowly as she watched her sister's fur grow larger and spikier. Her tail was twice its size as the she-cat arched her back. She refused to look at who the anger was directed at, though.

"It's the safest way," Pinestar's deep voice explained, making Sparrowpaw flinch. "If we go through the twolegplace, we could get lost, killed, kidnapped, or worse."

"So getting smashed by gigantic monsters on the thunderpath is _better?!"_

"I don't think you understand—"

"Oh, I understand _plenty!"_ Goldenlake spat at him, backing away and blocking his path to where Sparrowpaw lay with Nightwatcher's family. "And you are _not_ going to leave us to die out there while you slip away and go back to that dark hole you crawled out of!"

Even as Sparrowpaw's heart began pounding with fear, the tom stayed level, and he just slowly lifted his eyes to Goldenlake's and pierced her with his gaze. Even without looking at her, those golden orbs caused pain to wrack through Sparrowpaw's body.

 _Too close,_ she thought, her breath catching. _Too close to those…._

Before she could finish her thoughts, Pinestar continued, "If we follow the large thunderpath that runs near-parallel to the twolegplace, we can avoid being seen and attacked, and we'll get there faster."

"Get where?" Greyleaf interjected, coming over to Sparrowpaw's side and laying her fluffy tail across her shaking daughter. Sparrowpaw hadn't even realized she'd been trembling. "Have you been down that way? What's at the end of the thunderpath, Pinestar?"

The dark tom gave the slightest flinch at her harshness and looked away, grabbing some straw to illustrate his words. "No, but back when I was a kit, there were expeditions sent that way. My father wanted to know if Skyclan's ancient gorge still had inhabitants, and if the ancient Clan lands had Clans there, as well." He draw a map of the thunderpath splitting into two parts, one of which headed towards four clumps of mouse fur. "The SkyClan lands had been claimed completely by twolegs; they'd started pitching their flappy dens like at the stretch of land between ThunderClan and ShadowClan, but the old Clan lands…. Well, those had cats in them. Not Clan cats, though." He made scratch marks near one side of the four furs. "My father didn't think it would be worth his time to expand to such a faraway place. The lake was a much closer, much more prey-rich, option."

Sparrowpaw wrinkled her nose. "So there's not much prey there?"

"According to the scout, yes." Pinestar didn't look at her; she didn't look directly at him, either. "But that was many moons ago, and the cats there were in such bad competition that it may have caused the prey to run off."

Goldenlake lashed her tail. "Well I don't like it. Who says we can even stake a claim there? We should look somewhere else."

" _Where_ else?" Pinestar's tone grew hostile. " _Where_ else, Goldenpaw? Everywhere else is crawling with twolegs, barren of prey, or both. We can't turn around; there are no other options."

As Sparrowpaw's fur began prickling, Goldenfur finally spoke up from his place across the room. "Her name is Goldenlake," he said as he padded to the bright she-cat's side. Sparrowpaw breathed a sigh of relief. "And I don't appreciate your tone." His eyes grew narrow, dangerous, and the prick of claws sounded on the wooden floor. "You're here by mercy alone; don't forget that. We'll run you off the second you prove yourself to be the demon you are."

Pinestar's eyes grew cold, and Sparrowpaw had to look away again. She didn't see the rest of the meeting as Shadowblaze captured her with an understanding gaze and Nightpaw left her side.

"We can follow the thunderpath," the younger tom said, and Sparrowpaw heard dissenting mutters among the other cats. Quieting them, her brother continued with, "Because we can see for ourselves if it works. If Pinestar is wrong, and we get off course or inside of the twolegplace. _Or_ … if he runs away… then we can change course and go through the twolegpace or elsewhere. Does everyone agree?"

For a few heart-pounding seconds, no one spoke. Sparrowpaw looked deeper into Shadowblaze's eyes as her tension spiked, especially since her back was turned to Pinestar. The dark she-cat reached out a paw to beckon her closer, and Sparrowpaw mouthed to her a "Thank you" as she disguised her hiding behind the former Bride as checking up on the sleeping Hawkkit's health.

"I'll agree."

The grey she-cat's head jerked up as she saw Goldenfur step closer to Nightpaw. _Him? Of all people?_

"If you try anything, though," the tom continued, his voice low. "I'll personally take you out."

Pinestar blinked respectfully at him. "Understandable." He then turned to the she-cats. "And does anyone else have anything to say?"

The hatred that burned in Greyleaf's eyes mirrored the flame in Sparrowpaw's heart, but to her surprise, her mother relented, joining the two toms and bringing Goldenlake—cursing under her breath—behind her.

"So long as we can rest another day," Shadowblaze finally spoke up, rattling Sparrowpaw's body with her voice. "Then I can go. Hawkkit should be fine for the journey, and so should Cherrykit."

Pinestar blinked and dipped his head at them, as well, before turning around and retiring to his clump of hay.

"He's going to screw us over," Goldenlake growled as she passed by Sparrowpaw and the mother, her blue eyes aflame.

Sparrowpaw couldn't help but agree, and an icy film crawled over her heart.


	6. Chapter 6

**Good night, everybody! And welcome to some Nightwatcher POV!**

 **Also thanks again to KristiHope for reviewing! ^w^ You once again encouraged me, and I'm glad you like my stories and characters so much! I hope I can live up to the expectations you have for developing these characters (and the high bar that I've set for myself, tbh) as I continue this story! Life and inspiration, like you said, can be rough, so I'm not sure as to how frequently this story will be done, but eh! Surprises for everybody, right? XD**

 **I hope everybody reading enjoys this next chapter 3**

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Chapter 6: Nightwatcher

Nightwatcher wasn't particularly fond of them moving out so soon, but he kept his misgivings to himself. It wouldn't help anyone for him to speak up and cause another divisional debate. They were barely hanging together by threads as it was.

"You feeling okay?" he asked his mate gently, twining his tail with hers.

Shadowblaze hid her heavier breathing as they crested another rise in the hilly country, leaving him in silence until they reached the peak.

"Better," she said, sitting down for a moment and licking her belly. "I'm glad that your sisters are carrying the kits; this would be arduous with them."

Nightwatcher stopped with her as the others continued on ahead, making sure to give the concerned Goldenfur a reassuring blink as he pulled Shadowblaze closer to him and said, "Me too. You really need to keep your strength up, love, and so do they."

His mate laughed darkly. "They'll be fine; they're BloodClan cats. I'm surprised they haven't ripped apart my teats with those teeth and claws."

Nightwatcher frowned. "I forgot about that. At least Hawkkit's are smaller, though; you're welcome for that."

She gave him a sly smile and butted her head into his cheek. "You're welcome for surviving."

"Touche," he mewed, getting up and licking her forehead. "Shall we continue?"

She purred. "We shall."

The two of them didn't rush to catch up with the others; they would stop at a thunderpath soon enough. Just keeping the rest of their troup in sight for now was enough for the warrior.

"Shadowblaze… do you think… that we'll actually find anything out there?"

She made a thump in her throat. "You have doubt in your father?"

"Yes—well… no. It depends."

She didn't pause in her stride but managed to pierce into his heart with her eyes. "Depends on what? It's not like there's anything for us to go back to, and if BloodClan grows strong again, we'll need to have deep roots to be able to fend them off."

"Deep roots in where?" The tom lowered his voice, keeping his stare on hers. The others were only just within earshot, but he wanted to make sure their conversation would be private. "If there's nothing but twoleg ruins, there won't even be tree roots, let alone roots for us."

Shadowblaze shrugged, rubbing her body against his side and purring. "As long as we're together, it'll be okay. And your sister's a healer. That gives us more advantage than any other group of cats trying to find a home." Her eyes went vacant. "I need to learn from her sometime soon."

 _Because it was forbidden in BloodClan,_ Nightwatcher thought, but he knew better than to give voice to his words. She didn't need the reminder.

"Hey, lovebirds!" A sassy voice called from up ahead, golden tail lashing. "Get your butts over here! We're not splitting up to cross this fox-hearted thing!"

Nightwatcher rolled his eyes to Shadowblaze with a smile and continued his leisurely pace with her, letting their family soak in the extra time.

He almost wished he hadn't. The stench of the gigantic thunderpath was incredibly thick once they'd gotten close enough, and it grew ever worse as they crouched along the edge. Even the strands of grass tickling his nose brought the forsaken scent.

"Give Hawkkit to me," he said to Goldenlake. "I want him close by."

Her eyes reflected hurt. "You don't think I can keep him safe?"

Nightwatcher blinked slowly, his voice soft. "No, Goldenlake, I know you can keep him safe. It'll just ease my worries more if I can hold him while we cross."

She didn't look very convinced, only passing the kit into his mouth without a look in the eyes or another word.

Nightwatcher turned his stare to Shadowblaze, but the small she-cat just shrugged, setting her icy eyes on the thunderpath. She tested it gingerly with her white paw before pulling back in a measured way.

"It looks smooth enough. Not as bad as some that I've been told of."

"Rocks stuck in paw pads from old thunderpaths can cause a lot of problems," Sparrowpaw spoke up, her voice soft. "Even if it looks smooth, we still need to be careful."

Nightwatcher looked to his right to see Goldenfur give Greyleaf a reassuring lick between her ears before standing up. "I'll keep a lookout for any monsters," he said, his eyes scanning left and right. "Once that one in the distance passes, we'll run for it."

The brown tom followed the elder cat's gaze and saw a gang of monsters coming towards them on his right. He ushered Shadowblaze backwards and crouched with her in the long grass as they roared past with unbelievable speed, making his heart pound. He hadn't realized how wide his eyes were until he saw his face reflected in the calm of his mate's eyes, the squirming Hawkkit looking just as scared as he did. She gave him a lick to the forehead and crept forward with the others, leaving Nightwatcher to slowly follow.

Goldenfur's bright head soared over them as he scanned again. "Okay… now!"

Without complaint, all of the cats zoomed across the thunderpath. As Shadowblaze had said, it was smooth, almost a crystalline black. Some parts of the path even seemed to shimmer with iridescent purples. It wasn't so distracting as to stop Nightwatcher from sprinting to the other side as fast as he could, though, and his tight grip on his son's scruff worried him once the fear had passed.

Gently placing the bundle down, the tomcat sniffed around his ruff for any smell of blood.

 _None, thank StarClan,_ he thought with a sigh, gently lifting the kit again and catching an amused look from his mate. They joined the others as they huddled behind a scant bush.

"That was good," Goldenfur said, standing over them all. Everyone's chests were heaving. "And that's the only one we'll have to cross until we're almost at clan lands, correct?"

"Yes," Pinestar breathed, making a map in the dirt again. "We should arrive at ancient Windclan lands if we keep going the way we are along this side of the thunderpath. We shouldn't run into the twolegplace, either. It's on the other side."

Goldenlake grumbled and with a surly grimace curled up against the bush, though Nightwatcher could see that she was shaking. He decided to move his eyes elsewhere and observe Sparrowpaw.

"Everything good?" he asked her as he approached, placing Hawkkit gently down.

The medicine cat laid her own bundle of ginger fur at her paws and let Cherrykit play with her long fur as she answered, "Good enough. I'm still exhausted, but we all are. That path was smooth. We got lucky."

Nightwatcher nodded, giving her a reassuring nuzzle before he retrieved his kits and returned to his mate. She way laid on her side with her belly to him.

"Brought them for a feeding, hmm?" she asked, giving him a contented smile.

He blinked his assent and laid the two at her belly before curling up around all three of them, letting Shadowblaze's head rest in the fluff of his chest. She purred and kneaded him with her paws as they snuggled, just enjoying the warmth of being together.

"Of _course_ ," he heard his sister groan from somewhere behind him, and Nightwatcher pinned back his ear to let Goldenlake know he'd heard her and didn't appreciate it. Her continued grumblings about being slowed down alerted him that she didn't care for the message.

Shadowblaze grooming beneath his chin brought Nightwatcher back to the rest of his senses. He purred a thank you and gratefully let her clean out the small bits of dirt and debris that had made their home there before doing the same for her. Once the kits had drank their fill, the tom helped his mate to get back to her paws despite her wincings of pain.

"They're going to start biting even harder, soon," she told him, frown apologetic. "It's just the way of things."

Nightwatcher grimaced and butted his head against hers. "I'm sorry."

They began grooming each other, but before either could get very far along, they were interrupted again by a growl.

"Can you two just keep off of each other for five minutes so we can get somewhere safer?" Nightwatcher looked back in surprise to see Goldenlake's fiery eyes and lashing tail. "You're holding up everybody here, and we're hungry. Mom's practically dying over there."

"I am no—"

"We really do need to move," Pinestar interjected before a fight could break loose, though the rounds of glaring eyes on him seemed intent on instead picking a quarrel with _him,_ now. The dark tom cleared his throat and continued, however, with, "It's important to take breaks for Shadowblaze and her kits, but we can get to grooming out our fur later. If we keep going, we should find a clump of trees eventually that can give us some shelter. I don't want us to get caught out in the open if there's a storm."

" _Us_ ," Nightwatcher heard his mother say, and he twisted an ear to pick up her venomous words. "You have no right to pretend like you're one of us."

If anyone besides himself heard it, Nightwatcher didn't know.

Regardless, the other cats murmured their assent and allowed the large tom to lead them along the thunderpath. Nightwatcher wasn't sure how long it took them to find a copse of trees suitable enough for their needs, but the sun was almost set by the time they'd spotted and made their way to the small forest. The screeches and rumbles of the thunderpath were still easy to hear, but the stench was gone as they padded carefully into the underbrush. The canopy above them blocked out what little sunlight was left as they searched for scent markers from other cats—or foxes, badgers, even dogs—bathing their bodies in shadow interspersed with droplets of red glow. Thankfully, no large animals seemed to be inhabiting the area, and so Nightwatcher found Shadowblaze a roomy den underneath some tree roots to nest in.

"I'll bring you back some prey," he said to her as he backed out of the warm earth.

"No need," his sister's voice came from behind him. She dropped a sparrow at his paws. "While you were den hunting, we went out and actually caught something for everyone." She wrinkled her nose at the hole. "Is that even big enough for everybody?"

"No," Nightwatcher said, pulling the bird closer to him. "Thank you for this, though. A bigger hollow is on the other side of the tree; everyone should fit in there. I didn't want the kits waking you up in the middle of the night."

Her eyes glittered as she looked away. "Yeah, sure. I hope they behave for you two."

With that, she was gone, and Nightwatcher delivered the sparrow to Shadowblaze with thanks credited to Goldenlake. The tom waited for his mother and sisters to retire to their den, with Goldenfur and Pinestar close behind, before he turned to go to his own.

"Nightwatcher." The voice caught him by surprise, and the tom turned his head to see his father standing there.

"Yes?" he mewed.

"May I… den with you two tonight? The others… they don't want me in there with them; they say it's too cramped, but…."

Nightwatcher blinked slowly and flicked his tail. "I understand. It'll be a tight squeeze, but you're welcome to join us. We'll stay warm."

Pinestar smiled gratefully at him and purred as they descended into the roots, following after his son. Shadowblaze looked up in surprise, but she gave her mate a trusting, small smile and laid her head back down, curling around her kits to make room for the toms.

Nightwatcher curled around her in turn, and Pinestar shimmied himself in between them and the wall, his back to the other tom. Even though Nightwatcher wasn't sure about how comfortable everybody was, he was glad to know that everyone in their group would be sleeping in safety tonight.

As the tiredness took hold of him, sleep blackened his closed eyes and he fell into a warm, dreamless night.


End file.
